Silver Linings
by Valentine'sNinja
Summary: There's hope for the future… for the both of them. Vincent/Yuffie, for Serenbach.


Serenbach, I _really_ apologize for not getting this out when promised.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FFVII or any of the characters used in this piece of fiction. I am making no money off of them.

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**Silver Linings**

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Sweet Leviathan, it had happened.

She didn't know how she had gone through with it without passing right out, but she had endured for hours. Her smile hurt her cheeks, but she would be lying if she said that it was fake. Even though she felt like breaking into tears at odd moments, too, her smile was real enough.

Yuffie grinned at her friends and thanked them for attending, for being present on such a special day with her. Cid seemed to have been on the brink of tears, and even though she wanted to tease him, she knew that the old man was happy for her. Barret, too. Reeve had seemed as incredulous as her to have been present on that day, and Cloud had looked amused through it all. Only Tifa knew the truth of it all and had been a true friend through it all. Yuffie didn't know what she would've done without her.

The wedding had been simply flawless with everything going according to plan and _on time_, which was all thanks to Tifa and her persuasion skills. The tables had been set under the beautiful cherry blossom trees in full bloom and the ceremony had taken place at sunset. Everyone present in traditional Wutai garb, which had caused various giggles to escape her lips.

Her father had gifted her with the wedding kimono, which had belonged to her mother years before—used in their wedding as well. The white material had folded around her perfectly, making her feel like the princess she had never truly been, and above it, a beautifully colorful _Uchikake_ of reds, yellows and greens.

Everything had been perfect. Including the groom. Or in her opinion, _especially _the groom.

He had worn black silk kimono robes, his long and unruly hair pulled back; his usual striking facial features seemed to stand out even more with his hair out of the way. She'd had a hard time keeping her eyes off of him and had looked very much the part of the smitten bride.

The ceremony had been traditional, as her father had wanted, yet the reception had had a touch of more modern elements, such as music, food, and even the guests. Her father had also thought it a smart move to invite Rufus ShinRa, since the man had turned a new leaf and was winning over the public one step at a time. When her father had told her so, she had nearly thrown a fit… though her dear husband-to-be had been quick to defuse the situation.

"Yuffie," Vincent murmured, interrupting her thoughts as she stared off into the distance, all of Wutai still celebrating outside of the palace walls over the marriage of their princess.

"I'm coming, Vince," she replied, waving at Marlene and Denzel as they retired to their provided guest house with their guardians.

He offered her his arm and she took it with a grateful smile on her face as they retreated to their newly redesigned wing of the pagoda. Already there were some servants awaiting them, ready to assist her in removing the kimono.

"I'll change in the other room," said Vincent, leaving her at the door.

Yuffie watched him go with a longing sigh and entered the master suite, nodding at the girls as they proceeded to unravel the intricate pieces of her wedding robes, folding them expertly and putting them into place to be stored safely.

"These could be worn by your future daughters, lady Kisaragi," said one girl.

"Or maybe a future daughter-in-law," said the other.

Yuffie smiled slightly at their words but said nothing, merely wondered _how_ that would happen in her current situation.

"Of course, any child of lady Kisaragi and her lord husband would be very beautiful," the first girl giggled and blushed.

Vincent really was ridiculously attractive, Yuffie mused, having his babies would be like a dream come true. She supposed that as time passed, it would even be expected of them to produce heirs, and she wondered how _that_ conversation would go.

"That's still a long time off," she murmured, beginning to dab away at the paints on her face.

Wondering about her suddenly somber mood the girls nodded and continued to fold carefully. Once they were done, she had slipped into her sleeping clothes and had scrubbed her face free of make-up, feeling more like herself than she had in the last week with all of the preparations.

When the knock finally came, Yuffie felt her cheeks flush as she opened the door to let Vincent into the room. He still looked unbearably handsome, and despite the circumstances, she felt her heart skip a beat.

Vincent was her husband.

She was married. To Vincent Valentine.

Yuffie felt her knees turn to jelly, though she forced herself to shake it off. Now was not the time for that.

She slowly left the door to make her way out to the balcony for some fresh air. The view of the moon reflecting off of the ocean greeted her and filled her with peace, despite her bubbling anxiety.

"I'm so sorry I got you into this mess," Yuffie murmured when she felt Vincent step up next to her. Feeling his intent gaze on her face, she forced herself to turn to look at him and offered a wan smile.

"You didn't force me to do anything, so why should you be sorry?" Vincent asked, his hair loose and ruffling in the wind.

"I let my dad manipulate me into doing his bidding. He wanted me to marry someone important, so I did."

Vincent shook his head. "I'm no one important."

She gave him a look. "You're a hero, Vince. As part of AVALANCHE and the one who defeated Omega, of course you are."

He still looked like he wanted to argue his status as hero, but instead his lips thinned and he gave a reluctant nod.

"And I know you never wanted to be in the spotlight this way, but thanks to me you'll probably never have a peaceful day in your life ever again. I just never meant for you to get caught up in all of this."

Vincent smirked and shrugged one shoulder, looking very casual. "No one forces me into doing anything I don't want to, Yuffie. I saw that a friend needed my help and I was willing to offer assistance."

"Bet you never thought you'd find yourself married to an immature ninja-thief, eh?" she asked, folding her arms around herself.

The gunman sighed quietly. "Not immature." She gave him a look. "Well, not as immature as you used to be. You were head of the Intelligence Division in the WRO. No immature child would be capable of all that you have done. As for thief, I guess that what is mine is yours _now_. Problem solved."

Yuffie felt a giggle bubble out and she smiled gratefully at Vincent. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. You sacrificed your freedom for me and I think I'll never be able to repay you."

Before she lost her nerve, she darted forward and hugged him. They really had to get into the hang of behaving like newlyweds if their fake relationship was going to work. Inhaling his scent and exhaling slowly, Yuffie pulled away and moved back into the bedroom to crawl into bed.

Laying on her side, she was thankful that Vincent still faced away, her eyes filling with tears. Despite the fact that he was her husband, he would never touch her outside of necessity and probably just in public. She knew Vincent and he was a man of honor, respectful, and a true gentleman. He would never take advantage of the fact that she was his wife.

Even though she really, _really _wanted him to.

But no. She would be blessed and cursed to live her life by his side as nothing more than friends. And for now, it would be enough. It would be enough to watch that half smile of his on a daily basis. To know that he was safe and not fading away in a coffin over a lost love.

Vincent would be with her every day, learning Wutai's customs, getting to know her land, her people. He would learn to love her land like… maybe he would learn to love Yuffie herself.

It was a big dream, she supposed, but hopefully that dream would keep her moving forward now. And maybe make the desire to just kiss him more bearable. She just needed to be patient… which wasn't really her strong suit. But she would try.

Sighing quietly to herself, Yuffie drifted off to sleep, a single tear slipping out of the corner of her eye.

…

Vincent waited until he saw Yuffie's body relax in slumber. Looking away from the beautiful country he now called home, he turned his back to it and leaned against the railing, his eyes on the main beauty this land had to offer.

He still couldn't quite figure out whether he had made a smart move or a dumb one by marrying her. Of course he had done so to help her, and it had been willingly because he cared for her as a friend. But there was also the matter of him caring for her a little more than just a friend. He had never told her, never even mentioned it, but here he was, sharing a marriage with her now.

Yuffie had always seemed like an impossible dream to him. She'd been so young and untouched when they had first met, that all he'd thought of her then was that she was a nuisance. But as time passed by, as she came to his rescue and aid again and again, he had grown to respect her as a person, a teammate, and a friend.

He had known from the first time that she told him, that he would never allow her to go through a loveless marriage with some stranger. Better for her to live out her days with a friend who respected her than some fat cat her father had forced on her. It had made his skin crawl to think of that unknown man laying a single finger at her.

No. He never would've let her go through this alone. The guilt alone wouldn't have let him live.

Now he didn't know who he had done this for more… Yuffie or himself.

Somewhere along the line his thoughts on Yuffie had changed; he had a feeling that it had happened after Omega. All he knew now was that her smile was important and that he wanted to know that she was happy.

Deep down inside, _he_ wanted to be the reason why she was happy. The only question now was… would Yuffie ever accept him that way? Or had he just doomed them both?

Making his way into the bedroom, Vincent stopped on her side of the bed and watched her youthful face as she slept, marveling at the blossoming beauty and maturity; Yuffie had grown into a lovely woman, and while still clumsy at odd moments, she was a natural-born ninja. She was graceful when she needed to be, but he often preferred her being herself. She had a way of lighting up any room she entered, of bringing happiness to everything—everyone—she touched.

Yuffie had saved his life before and had done so again without even knowing it. He'd never imagined anyone who would be willing to marry him. She had saved him from a life of self-imposed solitude, of spending his days wandering the planet, not having a true home or a family. Now he had that with Yuffie, and even though they were playing the part of the happy couple, Vincent knew it was infinitely better than having nothing at all.

He supposed that they now had their whole lives ahead of them to develop their friendship and see if something more grew of their union. He was open to the possibility of finally, _finally_ moving on. It had taken him so long to see that he wanted his life to move forward and not remain stagnant and he was sure that Lucrecia would wish the same for him.

Smirking mildly to himself as he watched Yuffie roll into the middle of the bed, hogging the space and the pillows, he knew that maybe things wouldn't be easy. They would have to convince a whole nation that they were lovingly wedded and the happiest couple on the continent. There would be touching… and looking at each other with love. He didn't know how far Yuffie expected them to take things, but he supposed that it was a good thing that he had patience to spare.

Their marriage may have started as a farce, but maybe it would evolve into something special.

For the first time in over thirty years… he had hope for the future.

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**Prompt:** Fake relationship AU(Tumblr Prompt)

Hope everyone enjoyed this little short story. I know it's not developed all that much, but that's the beauty of a short story. Anyway, please let me know if you liked it, and I do apologize for not being around all that much anymore. I will do my best to continue writing soon.


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